All posts tagged toys “r” us

Christmas is still more than three months away, but the game is already on in the toy aisle with both Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us publishing some of their holiday toy lists Wednesday.

Winning the game for Toys “R” Us is not just about picking the hit product, it’s also about proving there’s viable room for it to exist and win as a specialty toy retailer, as other specialty chains from Best Buy to Barnes & Noble also guard their respective foothold against rivals from Wal-Mart to Amazon .

“We want Toys ‘R’ Us to win,” Toys”R” Us U.S. President Hank Mullany told reporters on Wednesday, recounting what the company’s suppliers told him during visits he has made after joining the retailer in November. “It literally happens around the world.” More on this adter the jump… Read More »

Scandinavian toy retailer Top-Toy, a licensee of the Toys “R” Us brand, has made a bold move in its Swedish catalog this year, working to do away with the guns-for-boys, dolls-for-girls gender system that is a mainstay of the industry. Instead, its catalog is trying to be gender-neutral, reflecting Sweden’s national focus on equality in the workplace and in society.

In a country of 9 million people, gender equality is seen as a bedrock principle of a productive workforce and a healthy welfare state. Sweden needs women in the labor force to maintain output. State-funded child care structures put in place after World War II have enabled women to return to work after having children, and four different government entities are devoted to the issue.

Mr. Nyberg said the changes reflect cultural trends. “We want our catalog to reflect how kids are playing today,” he said. “It’s important for us to be modern.”

The Swedish advertising regulator, Molin reports, has been getting pushy on companies that promote images of men and women it deems off message: Top-Toy was criticized for depicting stereotypical scenes of girls with dollhouses and boys with weapons, and fashion retailer H&M found itself in the regulator’s sights for showing bikini models with an “unhealthy tan.”

So this year’s Top-Toy catalog tries to avoid such charges. Some of the best pictures, after the jump. Read More »